Munir Dar suspended for illegal action

Munir Dar, the Hong Kong left-arm spinner, has been found to have an illegal bowling action and has been suspended by the ICC from bowling in international cricket for 12 months. According to an analysis carried out by the ICC, the amount of elbow extension in Dar's action across all deliveries (stock delivery, quicker one and arm ball) exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted.

Dar was reported twice during the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE, firstly on November 15 last year following a group match against Italy, and then on November 28 following a playoff match against Papua New Guinea.

Dar was first reported by umpires C Shamshuddin, Michael Gough, Ian Ramage and match referee Dev Govindjee, and was required to submit to an analysis by his home board, which concluded that his action was legal. As such, Dar was permitted to continue bowling in international cricket.

However, any subsequent report within a period of two years of the date of the first report requires a bowler to submit to an ICC analysis, and Dar was reported a second time by umpires Michael Gough, S Ravi, Adrian Holdstock, John Ward and match referee Graeme Labrooy. As a result, he was required to submit to an ICC analysis.

Where an ICC analysis concludes that a player's action is illegal, the player is immediately suspended from bowling in any international cricket for a period of 12 months. Upon the expiry of the suspension period, Dar will be automatically eligible to bowl again in international cricket.

The ICC analysis was performed by associate professor Jacque Alderson and her team at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, in Perth on December 19.